It's a Monday morning and I should be avidly reviewing notes for my upcoming presentation this morning but instead I am inspired to write a bit about hope because I surprise even myself with how hopeful I remain on a daily basis.
Why do I remain so hopeful? I have tapped into some kind of hope stream for myself and the people in my field of vision. These people include of course my family, clients, potential clients the young adults I work with through Outward Bound, the parents I intend to someday educate through seminars of some sort and all of the people who are currently struggling for work. We all have the potential and opportunity to be okay in the long run and I believe this so strongly and so innately that I simply cannot stop being hopeful.
I recently made an acquaintance through Twitter (I adore Twitter) that instantly intrigued and thrilled me. The company is called WorkNet and the founder has literally written the book on how to help people who are deemed "unemployable" for one reason or another. Incredible!! I got in contact with the person I met named Chris Webster and he walked me through their program a bit and offered me unlimited support and encouragement for the program I have put together for Outward Bound Los Angeles. As far as I'm concerned, Elisabeth H. Sanders Park writes for me when she says "Go for it! Whether your specialty is working with people in a highly individualized way, or your average day makes big changes that affect many, approach overcoming barriers with purpose and creativity!".
My current and future clients will all be so much better off once they have received the information I have put together to show them how to increase their ROI in their internal recruiting efforts. It took me a long time to go out on my own because for myself, I have to know that I am helping someone and being "another" staffing company offering the same old news has never appealed to me as the concept itself lacks any notion of meaningful assistance in this day and age. Focusing on the positive, I am grateful to the scores of staffing companies who adamantly refuse to operate in an ethical fashion without the slightest regard to the trail of broken spirits they leave in their collective wake. My revolution has begun and there is so much need out there that I can't give up in my quest to help as many people as possible through the various channels I have dedicated myself and my company to focus on.
My family life is full of drama and struggles dealing with the inevitable difficulties associated with blended families. All children of divorce suffer to varying degrees and I literally exhaust myself trying to make sure no bit of needed attention slips through the cracks. It's an impossible task of course, but both my efforts and my fiance's efforts have reaped tremendous rewards in improved communication with our children and a marked improvement in our children's behavior across the board. It's scary and intimidating, but we refuse to abandon the hope that our kids will come through all of it to become wonderfully happy, hopeful and productive adults.
One key to my success in remaining hopeful is terribly simple: turn off the television. There is so little good news being reported that I honeslty never watch live television except for the weather channel. I record the shows I want to see, fast forward through even the commercials for the news and commit myself to receiving news via Twitter (did I mention I love Twitter?) RSS feeds, magazines and my own browsing. I give no media outlet permission to interrupt my hopeful day with negative droning about any topic.
Elisabeth H. Sanders-Park also mused about the movie The Princess Bride and how Billy Crystal and Carol Kane were saying their farewells and said "Have fun stormin' the castle!". We all have castles to storm, metaphorically speaking, so I will bid you farewell this morning in kind. Have fun stormin' the castles, everyone!
Showing posts with label resume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resume. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
To Cover Letter or Not to Cover Letter
I recently commented on a thread about the value and structure of cover letters and thought it worthy of a post right here at home.
It's safe to say that at least 80% of cover letters never get read. The level of the position being applied to has a lot to do with it because of course, there is more at stake per hire for more senior level (higher paying) positions. Even then, the resume is the vehicle by which all of the information should be delivered and anything else is simply "other". My opinion is that if the resume doesn't deliver the message the candidate hopes then the resume needs to be rewritten. A wonderful cover letter will not make up for a lousy resume for anyone.
Consider that most applicant/candidate tracking systems do not have a place to store cover letters so they are rarely included with a database profile to external agencies or internal HR/recruiting groups. On the off chance that there is a place to save it, the odds of a recruiter opening a document in addition to the resume are slim to none. Most recruiters are reviewing 100+ resumes for each position they recruit for. That's not for each placement they make, that's for every single position they work on whether they fill it or not. The sheer volume of information makes a strong case against the notion of recruiters taking the time to read cover letters.
After all of that negativity, let me address three scenarios where a cover letter is appropriate. The first is when the job posting requests one specifically; there's not a lot of help for that one. Second is when a resume is being sent to an email address as opposed to being submitted through an online form. In this instance, the email message is the cover letter and should take a few moments to highlight qualifications, skills, availability and interest. And by all means, it should be written professionally with correct grammar and punctuation. The third is unfortunately when you are a senior level professional. These folks should have a boilerplate letter (at least) if for no other reason than to demonstrate their written communication skills.
Cover letters that are not in email should still be fairly short and direct so as not to detract from the resume itself. It's not possible to eliminate all redundant information, but keeping it to a minimum is a good idea. The letter should follow standard business letter format and include the following: An introduction that speaks about the resume objectively as a document for review and consideration, a paragraph that summarizes qualifications, a paragraph dedicated to availability and interest and a business sign-off such as "Sincerely" or "Kind regards". Beyond that information you run the risk of detracting the interest of the reader, as the good stuff should all be in your resume.
It's tough to know that something you will spend time creating will most likely not even get considered, but when it's appropriate to send one you don't want to be caught without one. Everything about resumes and cover letters is subjective with no one solution satisfying everyone, so it's best to have your bases covered in the event that someone is looking.
Here are two sources where you can view samples for free:
http://tiny.cc/JDe5s
http://tinyurl.com/7uwf7l
These sites don't necessarily share my views on the cover letter, but it never hurts to view examples to get your creative motor started. Sharing these links is for reference only and is in no way an endorsement to pay for any service(s) offered. If you're stuck, give me a shout and I'll help you write one.
I am rooting for you, as always!
It's safe to say that at least 80% of cover letters never get read. The level of the position being applied to has a lot to do with it because of course, there is more at stake per hire for more senior level (higher paying) positions. Even then, the resume is the vehicle by which all of the information should be delivered and anything else is simply "other". My opinion is that if the resume doesn't deliver the message the candidate hopes then the resume needs to be rewritten. A wonderful cover letter will not make up for a lousy resume for anyone.
Consider that most applicant/candidate tracking systems do not have a place to store cover letters so they are rarely included with a database profile to external agencies or internal HR/recruiting groups. On the off chance that there is a place to save it, the odds of a recruiter opening a document in addition to the resume are slim to none. Most recruiters are reviewing 100+ resumes for each position they recruit for. That's not for each placement they make, that's for every single position they work on whether they fill it or not. The sheer volume of information makes a strong case against the notion of recruiters taking the time to read cover letters.
After all of that negativity, let me address three scenarios where a cover letter is appropriate. The first is when the job posting requests one specifically; there's not a lot of help for that one. Second is when a resume is being sent to an email address as opposed to being submitted through an online form. In this instance, the email message is the cover letter and should take a few moments to highlight qualifications, skills, availability and interest. And by all means, it should be written professionally with correct grammar and punctuation. The third is unfortunately when you are a senior level professional. These folks should have a boilerplate letter (at least) if for no other reason than to demonstrate their written communication skills.
Cover letters that are not in email should still be fairly short and direct so as not to detract from the resume itself. It's not possible to eliminate all redundant information, but keeping it to a minimum is a good idea. The letter should follow standard business letter format and include the following: An introduction that speaks about the resume objectively as a document for review and consideration, a paragraph that summarizes qualifications, a paragraph dedicated to availability and interest and a business sign-off such as "Sincerely" or "Kind regards". Beyond that information you run the risk of detracting the interest of the reader, as the good stuff should all be in your resume.
It's tough to know that something you will spend time creating will most likely not even get considered, but when it's appropriate to send one you don't want to be caught without one. Everything about resumes and cover letters is subjective with no one solution satisfying everyone, so it's best to have your bases covered in the event that someone is looking.
Here are two sources where you can view samples for free:
http://tiny.cc/JDe5s
http://tinyurl.com/7uwf7l
These sites don't necessarily share my views on the cover letter, but it never hurts to view examples to get your creative motor started. Sharing these links is for reference only and is in no way an endorsement to pay for any service(s) offered. If you're stuck, give me a shout and I'll help you write one.
I am rooting for you, as always!
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